by Jenna Mindel
“I’ll walk you out.” Bree led Darren back out onto the front porch. “Thanks for that, but you didn’t have to come to my rescue.”
“I stated a fact. I’m responsible for everyone in that class.”
“Yeah, but if I hadn’t been taking pictures, I might have seen Connie wander off.” She rubbed her arms.
“They’re adults, Bree. And old enough to follow instructions. Instructions made clear that first day.” His voice softened. “Do you think your mom is okay with that?”
Bree nodded. Surely this wouldn’t impact the promotion he was after. It wasn’t his fault Connie wandered away.
“You should go inside. It’s cold out here.”
Bree still felt like she’d failed him somehow. “Okay. See you next week?”
“Next week. And be sure to bring your cello. My mom wants to hear you play.”
“Why not take her to brunch on Mother’s Day? I’m playing in a string quartet.”
He got a funny look on his face. “I don’t really do that sort of thing.”
Bree laughed. “Yeah, well, I don’t smelt dip either, and I found out that I liked it. A lot.”
His blue eyes looked uncertain, thoughtful. “I’ll think about it.”
“Do that.” Bree had expected him to decline outright, but he didn’t, and that made her smile. She had a hunch he’d be there.
She watched him climb into the van and waved as he pulled out.
He waved back.
She sighed and headed inside.
Her mother was up with her crutches, waiting for her. “Bree, what’s going on? What was that all about?”
“Darren wanted you to hear about Connie getting lost from him. It wasn’t a big deal. Connie found her way back in like ten minutes.”
Her mother watched her closely.
“What?”
“Darren is a handsome man.” Her mother made it sound like some huge problem.
“So?”
Her mother’s gaze bore into hers. “So, you’re spending a lot of time with him. Why?”
“We’re just friends.”
She didn’t believe that for an instant.
“This is my vacation, Mom. Maybe the last one for a long time. Darren’s showing me around because I’ve never been anywhere up here. He’s fun and that’s it. Nothing to worry about.”
“Okay.” Her mother didn’t question her further. She peeked in the basket of ramps and fiddleheads. “Let’s see what we can make for dinner with what you brought home this week.”
Bree breathed easier, but a knot settled between her shoulder blades. One she’d have to stretch out before she practiced her cello. She didn’t want anything more than friendship with Darren. Sure, she had a bit of a crush on him, but that was no doubt temporary. As her mother had pointed out, he was a handsome man. Who wouldn’t find him attractive?
That didn’t mean she’d let this attraction grow into something that’d knock her off track. Bree had hit the snooze button on her biological clock because a husband and kids were quicksand. She had plenty of years yet, but for the first time in a long while, she considered the tick of that internal clock. Darren struck her as the kind of guy who’d want kids. What if he was that someone special she’d miss out on to pursue her dreams.
Bree wanted no more regrets.
She’d dated Philip on and off for close to two years, and she’d known him for years before that. It had taken her forever to figure out finally that he wasn’t right for her. After only a couple of weeks, how could she even consider Darren a candidate for life?
Engaged after only a month.
Bree had thought that kind of thing ridiculous before a pair of bright blue eyes made almost anything seem possible. And completely impossible.
* * *
His day off and Darren sat at his dining room table entering the last few days’ worth of field reports. Bree’s words rang through his thoughts. They’re just people.
Covering what had happened to Connie in his report made him think long and hard. When push came to shove, Bree was right. They were just people who summered here. They got lost and made mistakes like anyone else. There was no reason to treat them differently.
Growing up, he’d hated that many who summered here acted like they somehow owned Maple Springs. Sure, every merchant depended on the summer crowd spending dollars to survive. The entire town looked for ways to make Maple Springs more attractive to tourists. More wasn’t always better. He might live way out in the woods, but Maple Springs was his hometown and he wanted to protect it. It was the reason he’d gone for the supervisor position a couple of years ago, only to come in second. Had he been overlooked because of his attitude toward the tourists?
He ran his hands through his hair and then stretched. Bree’s sweater, folded as neatly as he could manage, lay at the end of the table. She’d forgotten to grab it from the van the other day, so he brought it back inside where it would stay clean. He wouldn’t know how to wash something delicate like that. He’d probably ruin it.
He’d ruin a lot of things if he let his feelings for Bree get out of hand before she left.
He looked out his windows, where the sun shone and the temperatures had climbed back toward spring. He had a dozen things to do but didn’t want to. Neil was at work, and his brothers were, too. Well, not Cam. On this Friday afternoon, Darren wanted to go somewhere. He didn’t care where as long as he was with Bree.
His beagles snoozed on the floor in a puddle of sunshine streaming in through the windows.
The forecast called for climbing temperatures into the weekend and beyond. The elk would be moving today after the cold snap, no doubt getting out into the meadows to graze on the new growth.
He glanced at Bree’s sweater, grabbed his phone and texted her.
Are you busy?
After a few seconds he got a text back.
Practicing. What’s up?
He typed.
Want to see the elk?
YES!
He smiled. She was easy to please. Another difference from his ex and pretty much every other woman he’d dated. There was a sense of wonder in Bree he liked bringing out. It had nothing to do with tangible gifts. He simply showed her what he loved about Northern Michigan and she responded in kind. Like a real friend would, with no expectations or pressure for more.
Only, he wanted more.
Ignoring the warning bells in his head, he texted back.
I’ll pick you up in half an hour.
Great. I’ll be home. And bring my sweater. LOL.
He chuckled as he pocketed his phone, shut down his laptop and gathered up her sweater. He brought it to his nose, but her soft floral scent had long since worn off.
Grabbing two harnesses with leashes, he said, “Come on, dogs. Let’s go for a ride.”
Mickey and Clara perked their ears, but that was it. Neither moved. It had been a long while since he’d taken them for a ride in the truck.
He slapped a hand against his thigh. “Come on, I mean it.”
They got up quick and shot past him, down the stairs.
Darren loaded his truck with a blanket across the backseat while his dogs did their business. Then they all climbed in and headed for Maple Springs. Less than twenty minutes later, he pulled near the driveway of the Anderson cottage and glanced out over the bay. The water looked aqua followed by the deeper blue of an open Lake Michigan beyond.
Bree stood outside on the porch. She shifted a backpack over her shoulder and ran toward his truck. She laughed when both beagles stuck their heads out the window, begging for pats. She obliged them. “You brought your dogs.”
“There are some nice walking trails in the Pigeon River Forest.”
“I’ve got my hiking boots on, so I’m
ready.” She also wore khaki shorts and an expensive brand-name black pullover with a white T-shirt underneath. Her hair hung in two long braids, making her look like a Girl Scout who knew her way around. The red lipstick was a dead giveaway that she didn’t.
“What’s with the pack?”
She climbed into his truck. “Just some recording stuff.”
He spotted Joan at the window and gave her a wave.
She waved back but had a pinched look on her face. He didn’t need Bree’s mom getting weird about him going out with her daughter. Maybe Joan always looked like that, but Darren knew better. He’d seen that kind of look many times in his life. She gave him the perfect Bay Willows cold stare.
“Is your mom okay with you doing this?”
Bree set her pack on the floor at her feet and waved off his question. “It’s not like I need her permission—”
“Right.” Stupid question to ask. Darren looked at her backpack. “What’s the recording stuff for?”
“To record what I hear out there. Why aren’t you working today?”
His turn to explain. “I worked last night.”
Worry flashed quick across her face. “What’d you do?”
“Had to check out a complaint of ORVs tearing around after dark.”
“ORVs?”
“Off-road vehicles. A couple of guys were riding four-wheelers on the walking trails where they shouldn’t have.”
Bree’s eyes grew round as golden marbles. “What happened?”
“I issued them tickets.”
“Were they mad?”
Darren chuckled. “They weren’t happy.”
“Are you ever afraid? I mean, you’re out there by yourself, right?”
“Yeah, but most folks are just out to have fun. On occasion they get out of hand. Or don’t have the proper registration or licensing. Usually it all goes fine.”
“What if it doesn’t?”
Darren turned and headed south. “I call for backup if needed.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip. “Have you ever had to do that?”
“Sure, yeah.” Darren didn’t want to get into the dangers he faced. For the most part, people didn’t do much more than mouth off. But there’d been moments when Darren wasn’t sure what might happen. Moments when he’d had to confront men with weapons hunting illegally.
The key was never letting his guard down and preparing for the worst. He had over ten years of experience under his belt. Teri had over fifteen when she’d transferred in as his immediate supervisor. She was seasoned, knowledgeable and used to working more populated areas than Darren. Another Teri could be vying for the same position he wanted.
“How often do you have to do that?”
He shrugged. “If we’re investigating a big poaching ring or something, we’ll work in pairs. Call in the supervisor or sometimes team up with the county sheriff’s department. I stay safe.”
Bree looked scared. For him.
He didn’t want that. At least with her, he already knew the worst case scenario. She’d leave for a long time. Too long to make something more with her. No matter how much he liked hanging out with her, he needed to keep his guard up. The guard she kept climbing over.
He changed the subject. “So tell me, what do you want to record?”
She brightened. “Things like the breeze through the trees, maybe even the sound of elk. Do they make much noise?”
Darren chuckled. “Not now. But during mating season in the fall, the males make a big show, bellowing and shaking trees with their antlers in order to impress the females.”
“Wow. That must be something. Funny how God instills that competitive drive in animals.”
“People, too.” Darren wanted that promotion. He’d do everything he could to make sure this time, he got it.
“Yeah, but maybe we compete for the wrong reasons.”
He looked at her. “What makes you say that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Have you ever second-guessed why you wanted something?” Bree clicked on the radio, and a soft country song about unrequited love spilled out.
“Not until she took off.”
Bree chuckled. “That sounds bitter.”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. Are you having doubts about going to Seattle?”
“No. I don’t know. Maybe. What if I’m not good enough?”
Darren glanced her way. He knew all about those kinds of thoughts. Driving across the country by herself to start a new life took guts. Her desire to conquer what lay off the beaten path suddenly made a lot of sense. This woman was scared. For all the right and wrong reasons. “You wouldn’t have been chosen unless you were good enough.”
Bree smiled, making those dimples tease him. “The same can be said of you. Raleigh’s the one who made the mistake by walking away.”
“Hmm.” Darren focused on the road ahead.
It was a compliment he didn’t want to hear, especially from a woman who’d do the same thing.
Chapter Eight
Bree looked out the window, in awe of the various shades of green displayed from new leaves to rich grass and dark evergreens. Darren drove slowly along an unpaved road through a stretch of open fields. His dogs hung their heads out the back windows, sniffing the fresh air.
“What do they smell, do you think?”
“All kinds of game. Squirrel, deer, elk.”
Bree inhaled a hint of pine and decayed leaves as they drove over a small branch.
“It might have been a bad idea to bring the dogs. If we see elk, they’re bound to bark.”
Bree looked in the back and smiled. “I’m glad you brought them. They look happy.”
He chuckled. “Wait till we’re walking.”
Bree could relate. This felt a whole lot like unworried freedom. “Thanks for bringing me out here.”
“No problem.” He concentrated on turning onto another trail through a thicket of scrubby pine. Then he reached into the glove box and pulled out a couple of dog chew bones that he gave to Mickey and Clara before raising the back windows. He slowed to a stop and pointed. “See there, through those trees?”
Bree matched his near whisper. “Where?” An elk stepped from behind a cluster of bushes, followed by another one and another. “Oh. Wow.”
“Yeah.”
They watched in silence as the small group of elk lingered, grazing on the new grass poking up through the old. The dogs were busy with their bones and stayed quiet.
Bree glanced at Darren’s strong profile. She was tempted to run her fingertip down the straight line of his nose. He hadn’t shaved, and the light stubble along his jawline made her want to find out if those whiskers might be soft or scratchy. She folded her hands in her lap to keep from touching him to find out. Then she said the first thing that popped into her mind. “Where are the babies?”
“Calving starts the end of this month.” He pointed. “There’s a pregnant cow.”
Bree spotted the elk that looked a little fatter than the others, but she’d have never guessed it carried a calf. “Look at that.”
“Yeah.”
She sensed Darren’s gaze and turned.
He looked right at her.
She stared back.
The interior of the truck grew tight. Time had stopped and held its breath, like her. She leaned toward Darren and then hesitated. She didn’t dare make that first move. Didn’t dare act on the overwhelming desire to kiss this man. Would he push her away? What if he didn’t?
One of the dogs barked, a bellowing sound that shattered the moment and made the elk trot off. The other beagle chorused in with a deeper bugling sound.
Bree laughed, even as Darren scolded his dogs to stop. She patted Clara’s head, grateful the dog had kept her
from making a big mistake. Bree scratched behind the dog’s velvet-soft floppy ear. “They’re gone, silly.”
Darren hushed the dogs again before backing up his truck. “We might as well hit the trailhead and walk.”
“That’d be great.” Bree couldn’t shake the disappointment of not acting on impulse. It would not have been smart to kiss Darren, but it sure felt like she’d missed out yet again.
When they finally parked, Darren quickly hooked up the dogs’ leashes and got out. He pulled a couple of water bottles from a small cooler in the open truck bed and handed one to Bree.
“Thanks.” She slipped it into an outside pocket of the backpack and then hoisted the whole thing over her shoulders.
“I can carry that.”
“It’s not heavy.” Bree reached toward one of the dogs. “Can I walk one?”
He handed over Mickey. “He likes to stop and sniff, so you’ll have to tug him along. No dogs at your house?”
Bree slipped her hand through the handle. “We had a cocker spaniel growing up, but my parents didn’t replace her after she died. There was no point with my sister headed for college and me busy with music lessons.”
“When did you start playing the cello?” Darren led the way toward the trail.
Bree thought a minute. “I switched from the piano to the cello in fifth grade.”
“Why the cello?”
She shrugged. “I liked its sound, but I think it had more to do with hiding behind it. The piano was out there front stage, and as a kid, that was pretty scary.”
He gave her a long look.
Bree grinned. “You know, I’m working on that whole bravery thing.”
He chuckled. “You’re doing a good job.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Me?” Darren looked appalled, as if he didn’t want the responsibility of bringing her out of her shell.
It wasn’t all his doing, but he’d certainly helped the process she’d started when she’d mustered the courage to apply for the music residency. She patted his shoulder and felt the muscles tense beneath the fabric of his T-shirt. “You’ve given me opportunities to stretch. I’m in the middle of the woods and it’s all good. I appreciate it.”
